Blues Tourism In Mississippi

This is from the Clarion Leger in Mississippi. Another article about Mississippi tourism and the blues. I know it sound very strange, but apparently people are buying up old shacks in the Mississippi Delta and turning them into tourist spots! I kid you not! Now you can spend the night in a real authentic blues shack. Of course, some of them have modern accessories like running water, and electricity!

You know, in a way it is sad to see comericalization come in and take over an historical area. I know many of you who visit Beale Street in Memphis have no idea that the whole area was stripped down and remade as the Disneyland of the blues. I suppose on one level it is a good thing, as one store owner in the article stated that the blues was the only thing keeping things going in Clarksdale. Yet, you hate to see something cheapened by people out to make a buck.

New 4cd John Lee Hooker Set

I suppose in a way this is just another collection of John Lee Hooker recordings. However, if you don't have any of these songs here is your opportunity to buy some John Lee. For a complete review click here. It covers his whole career from his early years in Detroit up through 2000. I didn't see any mention of his recordings with San Francisco blues guitarist Roy Rogers. Those were perhaps some of John Lee Hookers finest recordings during his comeback years in the late 80s. What is cool is that the Detroit recordings in the 50s were made when Jimmy Pryor was hanging around with John Lee. As Jimmy put it, him and John Lee Hooker would play a lot of the same clubs and when they weren't working they were listening to each other. It was also very neat years later when John Lee Hookers son met up with Jimmy and spent some time talking about the old days in Detroit.

The Blues Lives On.

Here is a nice heartwarming story about kids who write about the blues. It comes from the Pittsburgh Gazette. It just goes to show that the music lives on. Three separate kids wrote essays on African American history, and all three wrote about music. In particular, Billie Holiday, the Staple Singers, and Hubie Blake. Those stories were winners in the National City Bank African American essay contest.

Last of the Great Delta Bluesmen

A very nice review of a very special recording session and evening from Blogcritic. Back in 2004 The blue shoe project brought together, Pinetop Perkins, Robert Lockwood Jr., Honeyboy Edwards, and Henry James Townsend, for a live show in Dallas Texas. This disc is up for a BMA. If you would like to buy the disc after reading the great review on blogcritic, then go to the blues shoe project web page HERE.

Raccoon River Boys at Blues For Bagdad

B.B. King on Ralph Gleason's Jazz Casual 1968 Part 1

TRIFECTA!! BB King. To quote Bob Dorr inthe song, Give Me Some Soul For Christmas, Albert, BB, and Freddie are my three kings:-)

Albert King - Born Under a Bad Sign (Live in Sweden 1980)

Albert King! I have always loved this song. whenever I feel bad I put this song on my CD player.

Nice Blues and Jazz Blog

I found this site that only reviews blues and Jazz CDS. I will put a link to the site in my cool links section. I know that I don't have the time to listen to complete CDS very often so I will keep trying to send you to other sites that take care of reviews.

My main goal for this site is to teach the history of the blues in a friendly way. What we call in the business writing for the general public. I have written some academic papers on the blues, but trust me they would bore you:-) I figure if I can get you interested in blues without drowning you in the details that you are more likely to keep reading and keep listening.

Also, I like to keep blending contemporary blues bands, with the old time classics. I feel the best way to keep the blues alive is respecting the past, and preserving the present, while building for tomorrow. that's the way to keep Da Bluz Alive!

Lansing Michigan Gets The Blues

Lansing a town that has had it share of the blues is having its own downtown blues nights. Here is the schedule of events from the City Pulse.

National blues artists scheduled to appear include Scott Holt on June 13, Ronnie Baker Brooks on June 21, Ana Popovic on June 28, Tab Benoit on July 19, Anthony Gomes on July 26, Laith Al Saadi on Aug. 2 and Larry McCray on Aug. 9.

Just looking at the schedule I would have to say that someone knew what they were doing. Larry McCray is awesome. One night I seen him play at Sheffield's a now defunct bar on Court Ave in Des Moines. It was almost like seeing Albert King/Stevie Ray at their finest. In fact, it was probably one of the five greatest blues gigs I have ever seen. ROAD TRIP!!!

The Amazing Recovery of Jason Crigler

Here is an interesting story about Jason Crigler. Apparently Jason had a condition similar to Tim Johnson the Senator from South Dakota. He had an aneurysm and was given little chance for a normal life, and yet now he is ready to put out a new CD, and play live blues again. To read more of this amazing story follow the link.

Blues In Schools

Many Central Iowa Blues Society members will remember Fruteland Jackson. Jackson came to Des Moines several years ago thanks to CIBS. The Marietta Times reports about his latest blues in schools project in Marietta Ohio. It is nice that Fruteland Jackson teaches the blues to kids in the schools. I used to do blues in schools back in the early 90s, and I enjoyed playing for the kids. They are a great audience and they really appreciate the music.

The photo is from Fruteland Jackson's website. Fruteland is holding the mike, and wearing the beret, while seated in white is the legendary blues scholar the late Alan Lomax.

2007 Iowa Blues Challenge

Just received this email from the Central Iowa Blues Society. If you are in town for the finals you need to check it out!

Press Release-2007 Iowa Blues Challenge Finals

The Finals for the 2007 Iowa Blues Challenge are now set!

Come join the party at the Hilton Garden Inn at I-80 & 86^th Street in Des Moines, Iowa. On Fri., May 18^th, 2007, performances will start at 9:30 PM with Smokin’ Mojo Kings, followed by Yetti Bluz Band and Matt Woods and the Thunderbolts.

Cover will be $7 for Central Iowa Blues Society members and $8 for non-members. Call 515-270-8890 or 877-782-9444 to book your rooms.

The competition will be stiff as these three great bands square off to determine who is the best Blues band in Iowa and play for the opportunity to advance to the International Blues Challenge held in Memphis, among other prizes, so come out and support your favorite band!

For the 14th year, the Central Iowa Blues Society, in cooperation with the Mississippi Valley Blues Society and Lizard Creek Blues Society, presents the 2007 Iowa Blues Challenge, an all-Iowa Blues band contest.

The Iowa Blues Challenge features one of the finest prize packages, for a contest of this kind, in the country. Over $5,000 in prizes are awarded to the top bands, including---cash, travel expenses, recording time, as well as spots in the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival in Davenport, IA; the Nightfall on the River in Des Moines, IA; 2007 Simply the Blues Fest in Fort Madison, IA and the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee.

The 2007 Iowa Blues Challenge is proudly sponsored by Central Iowa Blues Society, Mississippi Blues Society, Lizard Creek Blues Society, Budweiser, Citadel Broadcasting/94.9KGGO & 98.3WOW, Junior's Motel, Wolfer Sound, Cityview and Rieman Music.

Check out www.cibs.org for more information.

Keb' Mo' - It Hurts Me Too

The Blues are alive and well. Keb Mo rocks.

BUY MY MUSIC PLEASE:-)

If you scroll down to the bottom of my blog, or go to my MYSPACE page you will find a Snocap music store. This is a new service that sells your music over the Internet. Hassle free. I have talked to a few musicians who think it is great, so I am giving it a try. What is neat about this store is you can sample a few seconds of the songs. If you want to hear more of some of the songs you can still find them playing on my Myspace page.

Ray Charles Let It Be

Wow This is cool Ray Charles covering the Beatles Let It Be. This is very nice, it has some nice Gospel touches to it. Very Cool.

Artist Of The Week JB Lenoir

Artist of the Week is JB Lenoir. Check out the videos available on the sidebar. JB was born in Mississippi in 1929, and ended up in Chicago 20 years later. He recorded for many different blues labels, and had a wonderful mix of delta and boogie type blues. He was known for his wild outfits, and was called Mr. After hours.

There seems to be some confusion over his death. According to the Wim Winders film he died of injuries from an auto accident in after being denied treatment in Champagne Illinois. However on the web site. Blues Online, JB died of a heart attack several months later. Either way JB left us way too soon. Check out all four videos. They may look the same, but they are different songs. The color footage is I Feel So Good, which I did post on the blog a couple of weeks ago.

UPDATE

According to WIKI both are sort of right. Here is the quote from Wikipedia

He died on April 29, 1967 in Urbana, Illinois from a heart attack related to injuries he suffered in a car accident three weeks earlier. His untimely death is lamented by John Mayall in the song, "Death of J. B. Lenoir

The blues online article has the car wreck in 66, however, it was in 67. JB did die from his injuries. The town was Urbana not Champagne. which is probably my bad memory.

I'm an idoit UPDATE

Urbana is a sister city to Champagne, like St. Paul to Minneapolis.

Photo Of The Week Buena Vista University

This weeks photo of the week is Bunea Vista University. I picked this photo from last summer, because I just signed my contract to teach for another year up here in Storm Lake at Schaller-Crestland schools, which also means I will be around another year to teach the History of the Blues at BV. Also BVU has been very nice to me in regards to my blues history class. They have spent a lot of money on DVDs, a subscription to Living Blues, and their ACES program has helped fund some of my more expensive musical outings. When I moved up here in 2004 I thought I would be back in Des Moines by the next year. However, each year I am passed by the Des Moines area schools(probably because I don't coach football or basketball:-) Luckily, I have a great job at both Schaller and BV. Also living a couple blocks of the lake has its advantages. About the only thing that stinks about living up here(besides Tyson's slaughter house!!) is living alone. Not much social life up here, and I swear everyone is married, or if single under 25. So once again for at least one more year I will be spreading the blues to the best of my ability from the shores of Storm Lake:-)

Peoples Closes In Ames Iowa

Wow! This is a shocker. People's is closing. Peoples had lots of bands over the years including some great blues acts. It is too bad that they are closing the door. For more info check the Iowa State Daily here. It does sound like he is opening a new bar down on 3rd and Court, but I would assume it will be a meat market. Probably one of Smithson's old places.